Age: 53
Sex: male
Date: 5 Jan 1996
Place: 4/6 Parkway, Camden Town, London
Alan Holmes was found fully clothed and tied face-down to his bed by police on 4 January 1996 after being there for ten days.
Five people were arrested between January and March 1996 in connection with his murder, but none were charged. The police said that they thought they knew who was responsible for his murder but said that CCTV footage and forensic techniques were not sufficient to identify them sufficiently enough to bring about charges.
He died in hospital the following day from blood clotting through immobilisation and dehydration. He had been tied up so tightly that his circulation to his hands and feet had been cut off.
He had been beaten by burglars and left tied up to his bed without any food and water.
He had been forced to give his attackers the pin numbers to his bank cards which were then used by several people to steal £1,000 from his two accounts. CCTV footage of people using his bank cards was found but they could not be identified.
His passport, driving licence and a silver Victorian picture frame had also been stolen.
He was a civilian police mechanic at Kentish Town police station.
He was last seen on Christmas day when he had dinner with friends in West London who later dropped him off at his flat.
It was thought that he had been broken into by burglars in the early hours of Boxing Day. After he was left his cries had gone unheard at his flat and it was not until he was missed from work on 2 January 1996 that anyone noticed anything. The police later went to his flat on 4 January 1996 and forced their way in.
The police said that they thought that the motive was robbery. However, it was added that he might have been targetted because he was well known to people in the area.
Alan Holmes had been too ill when he was taken to the hospital to give a statement before he died.
He had studied law at Belfast University but didn't graduate and then came to London where he lived in the same flat above an empty shop in Parkway, Camden Town for 30 years. He was said to have led a very, very quiet lifestyle and didn't drink except for at Christmas when he might have half a pint.
